The present disclosure relates generally to the measurement of physiological properties, such as hemoglobin concentration, using a paper medium in conjunction with spectrophotometry.
Anemia is a major global health problem that affects a quarter of the world's population. Anemia can be caused by iron deficiency, blood loss, parasite infections (e.g. malaria), and acute and chronic infections (e.g. tuberculosis, HIV), among others. Anemia is diagnosed by measuring the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood. Once the condition is diagnosed, the underlying cause can be determined and treated with, for example, iron supplements for iron deficiency, anti-malarial drugs for malaria infection, or blood transfusion.
Hemoglobin concentration assessment is one of the most commonly performed laboratory tests worldwide and therefore serves as an important component of any healthcare system. Measurement systems that employ cuvettes are standard for hemoglobin assessment, but the cost of each single-use cuvette prevents widespread utilization, especially in low-resource rural areas, where anemia prevalence is high. Thus, there is a need for a low-cost alternative to conventional cuvette-based measurement systems.